Snow Removal

Snow Response & Removal

Snow response and removal is a high priority for the City of Midland. Watch this YouTube video for more on the City's process. The methods used and response time for snow removal throughout the approximately 35 square miles of Midland depend upon the amount of snow that falls. The following describes the general procedures for snow removal and response in the City.

NEW: Watch for the Class of 2022 'Name the Plow' Contest Winners!

For the first time in 2022, the City held a 'Name the Plow' contest to give cool names to some of our snow removal equipment! Look for these trucks plowing and salting the streets of Midland (and providing other collection services in the offseason!).

They are:

Clearopathra, submitted by Darrell Weisenberger and Kent Sypniewski
Grace A. Plow, submitted by Kelly DeRees
Scoop Dogg, submitted by Jennifer Decker, Natalie Rana, and Melissa Farley
Blizzard Lizard, submitted by Frank Kothbauer
Ron Brrrgandy, submitted by Charlie Ciarkowski
The Big Leplowski, submitted by Chris Lewinski and Melissa Richmond

Snow Watch

"Snow Watch" ensures the City's readiness in the event of snowfall. Snow Watch is staffed 24 hours a day during the winter season.

Immediate Response

When the conditions of light snow or ice appear on road surfaces, Snow Watch operators begin to salt the priority routes. The priority routes include bridges, overpasses, the Business Route 10 expressway, state trunk lines (Eastman, Saginaw, Patrick, Lyon, M20), major streets, hospital and school zones. Street plowing routes are followed by salting to minimize icing.

Plowing & Salting Response

If more crews are needed, they will be added as conditions warrant. When a snowfall of 4 inches or more occurs, and/or accompanying weather conditions warrant, street plowing begins on priority routes.

Snow Removal Process

A team of four or more trucks plow state trunklines (Eastman Avenue, Saginaw Road, M-20 and Patrick and Lyon Roads), Business Route 10 expressway and major streets.
Additional trucks are assigned to plow major streets and school routes. A salt truck follows each route to minimize icing as well as salt the street near stop signs at major intersections.
Once priority routes have been cleared, road crews begin plowing residential areas, starting with the next day’s garbage collection route and continuing through the days of the week (for example, if snow fell on a Monday, plowing would begin for Tuesday collection, then proceed to Wednesday, then Thursday, etc.).
Courts and cul-de-sacs will be plowed as any other residential street; however, smaller plows will follow the route to clean up any additional snow that is left in the end of the cul-de-sacs.
Snow removal crews will work on a 24-hour schedule until city streets are clear. Once streets and designated parking lots have been plowed and salted, road crews will begin to haul snow from the downtown area and plowed parking lots.

Mailbox Maintenance

If you believe your mailbox was broken due to a city snow plow hitting it, please call us to report the issue. We will send a supervisor out to take a look at the damage done. If the damage is minimal and easily repaired, we will repair the existing mailbox. If it is not, the resident will have two options - We can provide the resident with a standard replacement mailbox OR the resident can request a $50 check from the city to buy a replacement mailbox of their choice.

Please note: If the mailbox was broken by the weight of snow hitting it or due to the fact that the mailbox was too close to the road, we will not repair the mailbox. We only repair or replace mailboxes that were physically hit by our snow plows.

Private Streets

The City of Midland does not provide snow removal or salting for private streets.

Safety Tips for Snowy Conditions

As a result of the large amount of snow that can fall in the city, the Department of Public Services suggests a few things that Midland citizens can do to help make streets and sidewalks safer for themselves and City workers who provide curbside services:

Shovel the sidewalks around your home or business to create a safe path for neighbors, students, businesspeople, postal carriers and delivery persons.
Refrain from throwing, placing or depositing snow, slush or ice onto any sidewalk or roadway or across any roadway, specifically by pushing snow across a roadway.
Avoid parking in the street after snowfalls and especially between the hours of 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. This will help City snowplows more effectively clear the roadways. In addition, the City’s Code of Ordinances stipulates that vehicles parked in the street between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. may be ticketed and towed.
Clear an area around fire hydrants to ensure that the hydrant is visible and readily accessible in the event of an emergency.
It is recommended that homeowners and business owners avoid placing garbage bags, bins and cans on top of snow banks. Weekly refuse and recycling items should be placed in the appropriate container and set at the end of driveway approaches or in a snow cleared area along the outlawn.
Remove snow that accumulates on catch basins in the street close to your home or business so that snowmelt can easily drain away. Catch basins that are covered with snow and ice prevent drainage and can cause snowmelt to back up into the street and freeze.